Bishop Bradley Honors 2023 Bishop Paul V. Donovan Founder Award Winners

During the Mass of Thanksgiving held July 9, 2023, Bishop Paul J. Bradley honored the 2023 distinguished winners of the Bishop Paul V. Donovan Founder’s Society Award for Outstanding Service. The honorees, Rev. Robert Flickinger and Deacon John and Mrs. Jane Bodway, were chosen for their witness to tireless service in the name of Jesus and for reflecting a love for God through devotion to the Catholic Church and others.

In announcing the 2023 recipients, Bishop Bradley affirmed how each of the recipients exemplify the motto of Bishop Donovan, “to serve rather than be served.”“Throughout his 48 years as a priest Father Bob Flickinger has been vital in expanding outreach to our Hispanic sisters and brothers throughout the diocese. He has served selflessly at many of the parishes within the diocese and been instrumental in strengthening rela-tionships with sister parishes in Central and Latin America,” said Bishop Paul J. Bradley. “Deacon John Bodway and his wife of more than 50 years, Jane Bodway, are beautiful witnesses to the sacrament of marriage in their commitment to each other and also inspiring witnesses to the Gospel in their devotion to their minis-tries,” said Bishop Bradley.During his homily at the special Mass Bishop Bradley affirmed the witness of the honorees as an invitation to everyone. He said, “[the Founder’s award] is our acknowledgement of them as a way to shine a light onto the thousands of faith-ful followers of Christ who every day take Jesus’ yoke upon them, to do the work that Jesus asks us to do, while he shares our burdens, and gives us rest in him.”Reverend Robert Flickinger was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1975, for the Order of the Salesians of St. John Bosco. He first came to the Diocese of Kalamazoo by invitation of Bishop Donovan in 1981. He has served at more than 12 parishes, including almost 10 years as pastor of St. Basil Parish, South Haven. Father Bob is most known for his heartfelt and unwavering connection, ministry and advocacy to and for the Hispanic/Latino community. He was instrumental in expanding the ministry to the migrant farmworker community and expanded the number of Masses celebrated in Spanish at the various par-ishes he served. He has held a number of diocesan roles, including Director of Vocations and Associate Director for the Diocesan Hispanic Ministry Office. In ad-dition, Father Bob helped establish a sister parish in El Sitio, El Salvador. Father Bob is currently retired from full-time pastoral ministry, although he frequently can be found celebrating the Mass in Spanish at parishes throughout the diocese.Deacon John Bodway and his wife, Jane, were married Aug. 14, 1971, less than one month after the founding of the diocese. Deacon John, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate in 1999, has previous-ly worked as the Parish Administrator for St. Jude Parish, Gobles, for nearly 20 years. Jane worked in the Diocesan Pastoral Cen-ter for more than 20 years in the offices of Ministry Formation, Marriage and Family and Parish Life. Together, the couple have worked alongside one another in the areas of Deacon Formation, marriage ministry and parish administration and volunteer-ing. Jane is quick to explain that they have found a way to use their complementary God-given talents. Although officially re-tired, they volunteer at St. Augustine Cathe-dral Parish and are devoted to their family of five children and 11 grandchildren.